Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-01-28
THE BROOKS LIBRARY.
ADDRESS
A. the Dedication of the New Binding
Tuesday, Jun. -, 1857, by
Hon. Mellin Chamberlain, LII. d.,
Librarian ocMc Boston Pubhc LibfdrU

The last of what intended 10 say to von
this evening was written the night before
Mr.. Brooks died Could ! have foresecm
the circumstances of this occasion. my al
dress would have been different but, with
the omission of few words, and with II
Few which have added, ! must ask you to
accept it as it was prepared
| met Mr.. Brooks in his early manhood,
but have never seen him since. He called
on me "A few weeks ago, but | was away
and looked forward 10 this hour when we
should renew the acquaintance of our youth
1t was otherwise ordered
And now that this hour has come, il
quickens memories of days long ago. aud of
other friends, few of whom remain II is
more than forty years since here at Brattlc-
borough, before the County Common School
Association, presumed to speak for pupu
lar education and mere to day once more
| attempt to speak ON the same subject but
not to the same audience. Gone are the
old familiar faces aud if any hear me now
who heard me then, they were young when
| was young
Today one more is added tu free public
libraries, no new thing now indeed with
Us, or in Europe, or in that great empire
which rises in AuStralasian seas. Never.
theless, the dedication Of free library is
an event Of more than local interest. since
it is one, though only one, Of those event,
which indicate the passing away of an old
order Of things and the coming in Of q new
order and it is the going ont of the old
with the loss which has cusucd, and the
coming in of the new. with the gain We cN.
pect from it, Of which am to speak To-.
night. And rs your fathers and mothers
were my friends, and some of you were my
pupils, am sure You will allow me to pre-
face what have to say with some grateful
"reminiscences of my Brattlcboruugh life
1t was in the spring Of 1874, a few months
before graduating at Dartmouth College.
that came to this village IA teacher of the
Central school. and here ! remained until
late in 1916. For one whose principal oh
lect in teaching was to rcplensh an empty
purse and at the same time to review col
lege studies and read books Introductory To
the study of law, no place could have been
more eligible. To be sure. Il salary of four
hundred a hear was hardly aluriug. even
in those days hut with respectable table
board mt nine Shillings week and free
lodgings over the bank as it, custodian, the
days went ON, though not riotuusly Nv
duties were compact the school was in per
feet discipline, and its spirit for study wa,
high. had only to go forward in paths
well trodden 10y my predecessor, that AL
mirabe teacher, Moses Woolson Thu,
passed agreeably | am sure and ! hope
not unpruiitahly-thre year, of my life. ia
which had, ] suppose my share of u teach
er's perpleNities which are forgotten now.
since memory hold, only the glory of the
dream.
There may have been another place ON
this planet more desirable rs residence
than Brattleborough in 1874, hut | never
CHANGED to know such. Situated in full
view of the mountains watered hv hmr
streams, with pure air, and scenery at
points exceptionally charming, for hun
dred years it had been the abode Of men
eminent at the bar or on the bench or in thu,
pulpit or in affairs, and of some not I'M
known III literature and always of a peo-
pie intelligent, refined, and rich in all
amenities. 1t was the centre of AN active
but not noisy trade. Manufactures flour
ished without polluting the air or the wa
tiers. Thrift, that brought competence but
no overshadowing fortunes was every
where apparent. Its leading citizens in
business or in the professions were quail
fled to fill, as some went forth to ill., more,
conspicuous places and to deal with larger
affairs, -men and women whose societv was
education, and to initiate whom was con
duct and manners and exemplary life
hardly need add that institutions of rehy
ion, of education, of public and social at
fairs, guided as they had been established
by intelligence and moral sense. moved har-
moniously in their benefcent courses.
So ran the stream of every day life at
Brattleborough in 1874 1t was it, golden
age and if. like the golden age every
where, it had its shadows, sometimes it,
very gold was gilded, for in the summer
came visitors, some of whom were people
of distinction, and as such welcome. aud
duubly welcome, | fancy, and doubly dis
tinguished in our eyes, 10y their unstintrd
admiration of our village. Their advent
filled the hotels it quickcnrd trade. and
gladdened the hearts of ingenious youth
who gathered wild flowers and berries in
remote pastures. Better than all. their
presence added tp that indrfinabr hut not
less real wealth which comes from associn
ton with those who had written for the in
struction of the people and for their de
light, and to the awakening Of expectations
concerning the literature of America The
value of such association to those in the
formative period of life is not likely to he
uverestlnated to them "A complete man or
woman is the centre of glory which, if It
dazzles, also inspires. OF the notables here
before my day knew only by hearsav.
but some of the later corners | recollect
and though had no personal relations with
any of them, it was II great thing, as still
think, 10 witness daily the conduct and
manners and 10 hear the speech of those
whose works were the outcome of our ma
tional life. Among them were Catherine
r.. Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe
the former, as a great teacher and writer
of useful books, stood higher in public est
nation than the latter, for Uncle Toms
Cabin" was then unwrtten And 50 was
the Philosophy of Shakespeare PLAYS Tn
folded = nevertheless, when Della Bacon
walked our streets, she drew attention us a
remarkable woman. lleralded as a true
poet by Voices Of the Night and hy
Ballads and other Poems Henry Nads-
worth Longfellow occasionally came among
us. But William Henry Charming. the
great preacher, was the most impressive
personality. After forty years | still see
the light in his eyes his wonderful voice
thrills me yet, and to this day ponder his
ethical utterances. | once saw William
Morris Hunt. 1t must have been when hc
came here to take leave of his relatives
just before going to Dusseldorf but ! met
him with no thought that in after Years |
should know him as one of our most emf
nent artists. Thomas Wentworth Higgin-
son, more frequent visitor both in sum
mer and in winter, was much in our social
life, and even then gave promise since re.
deemed by the production of some of our
most attractive literature.
or course, none of my pupils were in any
way distinguished though many showed
character and one now is among the fore
most of our pulpit orators, and another sec
ond 10 none Of American sculptors. But
those
Whose flower of happiness was crost
In its first bud, the early loved aud lost &C.
alas, what hearts were broken, what hopes
persisted
Such thoughts crowd upon me as return
TO Brattleborough after u long absence but
| have not uttered them to those who might
once have listened with pleasure, their
ears are cold in death. nor to provoke 10
tilial reverence children worthy of such
parents. No my purpose is quite differ
ant. | wish you 10 see typical New Eng
land town as il was and rs it lived its life "A
generation ago, in contrast with similar
today and then 10 consider
with what loss and under what conditions
and by what new instrumentalities we must
carry forward society in the future. think
It will appear that the characteristic life of
our New England towns under the old
regime was less in the completeness and
of their local institutions than in
lhe strongly mdividualized personality of
heir representative men and women and
hat under the new regime the order and
effectiveness of these influences are chang
I'd, that henceforth persons will be of less
account, and institutions Of more account
II rather, ns hope that the influence of
men and women ON society, instead of being